Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Nijo Castle in Kyoto, Japan

Apart from the many temples and shrines, if there is one castle that you must visit in Kyoto, it's the Nijo castle. A UNESCO world heritage site today, the castle originally dates back to the year 1603 (rebuilt in 1628) when it was built by the infamous Tokugawa shogunate (head of the feudal military government during the Edo period).

The main entrance to the Nijo castle

The castle stood guard to the nearby Kyoto Imperial palace and served as a residence for the shoguns to stay when they visited Kyoto.

Ninomaru Palace and Garden

Two gates at the entrance – the Ninomaru Higashi-otemon and the Ninomaru-goten Karamon lead you to the spacious grounds of the Nijo castle. Here, as a living testimony to an era gone by, stands the Ninomaru palace.

The Ninomaru palace and grounds

A walking tour through the palace leaves you fascinated as you pass through a number of rooms, each containing decorative paintings and life-size figurines depicting the life and living of the shoguns as it was during the 16th century. Not only the room but the floors known as 'the Nightingale floors' are equally mesmerizing too as they let out a squeal when you walk on them – an efficient safety alarm that the feudal lords and military chiefs created to protect them against treachery and assassination attempts.

Adjacent to the Ninomoru palace is the extensive and beautifully landscaped Japanese garden called the Ninomaru Teien with rocks, stones, trees, flowers, fishes, waterfalls and of course, a lot of tranquility.

Ninomaru garden

Honmaru Palace – Inner-Inner Nijo Castle Grounds

Cross a bridge, walk across a moat and one comes across the inner and the main circle of defense housing the Honmaru palace and grounds.

Inner moat seperating the Ninomoru and the Honmaru sections of the castle

One of the best ways to view this ground dotted with Japanese-style palatial buildings and scenic gardens is by climbing an elevated terrace in the grounds.

Honmaru grounds view from an elevated terrace

Alternatively, one can also walk across the winding trails of the surrounding gardens and get a feel of the area.

Walking along the Honmaru trail

Note: The Honmaru palace remains closed for the common public barring some special days.

How to reach

Timings:8:45 to 16:00Admission fees:600 yenAccess:Nijo castle is close to Kyoto station. You can take the local bus (a day bus costing around 500 yen is a great way of getting around in Kyoto). Alternatively you can take the subway to the Nijojo-mae Station.

67 comments:

Wonderful castle!!!These trips my dear friend Arti, is life journey!As I read about the shogun, like seeing movie!I'm delighted for you!Thank you very much for the interesting tour!A hug and lots of kisses

Arti, you saw and experienced so many different landscapes and architecture while in Japan. I've enjoyed traveling with you! My good friend, Sue, is now in your country - in Northern India. She sends me photos each day of the sights she's seeing. They traveled in snow in the Himalayas yesterday.

Nice pics as always Arti. I found the alarm concept of 'the Nightingale floors' very interesting! The concept hasnt changed since ages, its just that we have moved towards an electronic system now-a-days!

I’m recalling with you, Arti, not only the places we visited but also the distance of our walking. We walked a lot that day, but I didn’t feel tired at all. I wonder what magic was contained in our tour. All your photos are fabulous!

I love your photos of the castle!! I have visited this place a few times. The beauty of the gardens fascinated me, and the number of rooms amazed me. I want to visit this castle and enjoy tranquil atmosphere again.Have a great week.keiko

Love the architectural details of the castle! They fit so beautifully with the surrounding nature. And you are absolutely right -- the views from the terrace are spectacular! Ahh, lucky you to witness so much beauty. :)

There are many device like a "nightingale floor" in a castle. We adopted a "nightingale aisle" in my house. We put many colored shingles on a small aisle in my garden. When even a cat walks on it, we can hear sounds shingles hit each other.Have a nice weekend!

Enjoyed the castle and the garden. I wonder how you remembered the names and even if noted down, how you could have related to them. Incidentally during the month I played host to a Japanese Couple at Bhopal. Right now I am at Chennai.

I so loved that Garden. Man, what a place. As you say, it will automatically bring even the most disturbed minds to a state of tranquility :-) How I wish I got a chance to be in such a picturesque place :-)

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My Yatra Diary...

Hi there! I am Arti - constantly on the road, both figuratively and literally, unwrapping my unique gift called life. My blog, which focuses on spiritual journeys, is all about my love of exploring and learning; a continuous journey where I strive to seek the truth, discover myself, the world, my place therein and experience the real treasures of life along the way. I hope to help those planning to make a trip to these places or simply provide a virtual tour to the rest.
If you have any queries, do leave a comment, I will be pleased to help!
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